A group of bipartisan senators is pushing the “Patients Deserve Price Tags Act” in an effort to save American patients valuable money and regulate health care pricing.

The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Roger Marshall, (R-KS) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and would require hospitals to provide clear pricing on their services well in advance of patient appointments and billing. It would also require itemized bills for health plans from providers to ensure that patients have more information on what they are expected to pay following treatment.

The legislation is intended to codify into enforceable law Trump’s February Executive Order which directed agencies to implement regulations requiring price transparency. These price transparency regulations first introduced in Trump’s first term were never enforced during the Biden administration, despite the fact that transparent health care pricing has wide bipartisan support in Congress. 

If provided transparent access to treatment prices, Americans will have the ability to compare and choose the best care at the best price for their families. Indeed, the majority of Americans want to know what they are paying long before they seek medical care. No one on either side of the political aisle wants to be surprised with unreasonable bills that they cannot afford. It comes as no surprise that 92 percent of people say they support efforts by the federal government to require hospitals and health insurance companies to provide the actual cost of treatments rather than just estimates. 

Hiding or inflating health care pricing – as too many hospitals currently do – allows hospitals, insurers, and other companies to charge whatever they want at the expense of lower income and elderly patients who need accountability and transparency from their healthcare providers. Americans deserve complete information in order to make the best decision for their life and healthcare.

Solidarity HealthShare has long stood in support of price transparency. We believe that our members should know upfront and ahead of time what their care will cost, and we want them to be able to afford it as well. Solidarity is committed to price transparency and repricing for its patients and stands as a resource for the administration, bringing to the table almost a decade of experience serving over 46,000 members.

To learn more about how Solidarity protects transparency and provides affordable options to our Members, give us a call today at (737) SHARING.